Or Relievingsfro:niers'before Kindred? 3 . If they be more needy, or at need) as others , though withal they be ungodly, we are not thereby excufed from natural af- feftions or charitable relief. 4. We mull diftinguifh between children, or filch kindred a4 nature cafteth upon our care for provifion, andpicb kindredas are by nature tall upon other'. If parents were not obliged to relieve and provide for their own children , they would be expo fed to mifery , and man iliould be more unnatural then brutes. So that even when by ungodlinefs, they are lefs amiable then others, yet God hash boundmen to provide for them more. 5. Natural love and /j)iritual are much different ; you may have a iironger Natural .Love to an ungodly child, then to a Godly firanger ; but you mull have a fpiritnal Love to that Godly firanger, more then to your child; And thatfpiritunl, Love mull be (at kali as to the Rational and Eftimative part) much greater then the other Natural Love : And yet you may be bound to Give more, .where you are not bound to Love more. For it is not Love on- ly that is the caufe ofgiving ; but we are Gods Stewards, and :mutt difpofeof what we have as he prefcribech us : and his handing Law of Nature for the prefervation of mankind, is, that parents take care of their children, as fuch. S. Thewill and fervice of God, being it that fhoulddifpore 'of all that we have, we mull in all fuch doubts look to thefe two things for our direciion Firft to the particu:ar Precepts oftheWord : and therewe find the fore-faid duty of parents expreffed and withall the duty ofrelieving all that are needy to our power : Secondly to the General Pre- cept : and there we find, that we mull honour God with our fubfiance , and lay out all our talents to his fervice. And fo the duty lieth plain before us. Ifyou have a child that is wicked, yet as parents provide him his daily bread ; and leave him enough for dayly bread when you die. But more he fhould not have from me : but the refi ( had ten thoufand pound a year) I would lay out that way that my ,confcience told me may be moil ferviceable to God. For I. I am not bound to firengthen an enemyofChrift,and enable him to do the greater mifchief. 2. Nor to call; away the mercies of Cod:3.If the, Law required the parents to eaufe fuch a rebelli- N n z ou 275
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